I finished it in Buffalo, NY, far, far away from my local comic book store, where the next book is. I need next book... this was awesome, the more we I finished it in Buffalo, NY, far, far away from my local comic book store, where the next book is. I need next book... this was awesome, the more we learn of the current day story, the more we want to know what happened in the past. epicly woven storytelling....more
I am a couple hours into the audiobook, and annoyed that Ish is kind of a dick. I understand the book will reflect the thinking of the time, but that I am a couple hours into the audiobook, and annoyed that Ish is kind of a dick. I understand the book will reflect the thinking of the time, but that doesn't make me enjoy the sexist writing any more (this is why I have trouble with classic SF). beyond that, Ish doesn't seem to really mourn the world, he keeps a detached and scholarly view of everything. he abandons a drunk because he doesn't want a companion of that ilk, then feels little remorse when he finds the man dead of alcohol poisoning. I hope this is a story of his discovery of his own humanity......more
I'm not going to regurgitate the plot; the description and the other reviews do that just fine. I had low expectations on this book- my experience witI'm not going to regurgitate the plot; the description and the other reviews do that just fine. I had low expectations on this book- my experience with Christmas fiction is pretty spotty. It started out fine; the character quirks were amusing, but after a little while it started to grate on me.
Things I learned from this book:
1) The way to a man's heart is to cook for him. They lose all rational thought when you cook for them.
2) Boys in school = good, non-educated Harley riders = bad. (Also, people your mother approves of = good.) (Also beer=bad, wine=good.)
3) The characters all seemed a lot older than described. Emily was traditional, diminutive, and acted like a widow of 65, not 40. Faith acted like an old divorced woman with no hope for love or children- at 30. The characters were also cookie-cutter types, especially Charles and his mother.
4) When you leave a chapter at a cliffhanger, "OMG the overbearing mother has arrived to find us giggling and cooking together like a couple!" when you next return to their story, it's OK to skip over the very interesting action that would have happened, have the characters breathe a sigh of relief after mother has gone, and then just have them tell what happened in brief exposition. Exposition is ALWAYS more exciting than action.
5) I'm learning that soft, easy Christmas stories like to do the opposite of other plots: the scary, tense, exciting part (the climax) is at the beginning - oh noes, we are all displaced without loved ones, and in some cases forced to be with people we would rather not be with! - and then things just gently get better and better with no real threat to happiness once it is established. I kept waiting for the "Boy loses girl" part of the story to come, and it was never even threatened.
dreadfully trite and flat, with cardboard characters and an unexciting climax - two characters fall asleep in the snow and don't die, get hypothermia,dreadfully trite and flat, with cardboard characters and an unexciting climax - two characters fall asleep in the snow and don't die, get hypothermia, or frostbite. I'm a fan of Christmas stories, but I require an actual story instead of just saccharine convenience....more
This reads better as a memoir instead of a plot-driven story. The voice is wonderful and it is a true letter to SF fandom. But the antagonist, the girThis reads better as a memoir instead of a plot-driven story. The voice is wonderful and it is a true letter to SF fandom. But the antagonist, the girl's mother, is barely in the book at all, just referenced. When she arrives on the scene, she's as flat as a Disney villain: "I AM A BIG EVIL FIGURE WITH NO DEPTH." I understand the point of view of Mori could see her mother like that, but at least we could get some dialog to show some depth.
The "accident" that kills Mori's twin and cripples her is never fully explained, and the end of the book feels like an afterthought action sequence mashed into a book that is largely cerebral.
If you go into it knowing you're going to read a coming-of-age memoir, then you'll enjoy it. If you expect a fantasy story with a clearly defined plot and conflict, you will be disappointed.
One thing I would love, however, is a reading list based on the books she read through the novel. I had read some of the books referenced, but not all of them,...more
This was nominated for the 2011 Hugo Award, and while it was pretty good, I didn't see it as award-worthy. The book starts a bit confusing and slow, aThis was nominated for the 2011 Hugo Award, and while it was pretty good, I didn't see it as award-worthy. The book starts a bit confusing and slow, and doesn't really pick up till the end, when you discover it's brilliant. I still think the underlying truths could be hinted at more effectively, ie I know we're to be kept in the dark as much as Tommy is, but if I'd been reading this via comic book instead of graphic novel format, I'd probably have lost interest.
Don't get me wrong, it's a brilliant read. I love how Carey is giving literature power within the world, it's clear this mythology goes very deep. (Especially with the Mr. Bun story- horrifying.) I love the clear nod to Harry Potter without it being pastiche. I love the art, the suffering book. But we're 2 graphic novels in, and I still am not sure what's going on, just like Tommy isn't. And if he's freaking out and demanding answers, it seems pretty dangerous to blurt something ELSE vague and then run away (which one character did.)
I think a problem with this is that Tommy DOES know more than we do, because he knows the book that is supposedly underlying the whole thing- the Tommy Taylor books - and we get only a glimpse.
I'll keep reading, of course. It's brilliant, even if a bit vague and slow at times. ...more
Yup. It fulfilled all my hopes and expectations. Amazing book, utterly intoxicating.
I had one issue with the ending, though:
(view spoiler)[Prospero aYup. It fulfilled all my hopes and expectations. Amazing book, utterly intoxicating.
I had one issue with the ending, though:
(view spoiler)[Prospero and Alexander were the puppeteers, controlling, manipulating, and didn't give a damn about who got hurt along the way. And neither got any sort of comeuppance. Sure, Prospero was fading away, but that was something that had been happening for 20 years. I felt like they were both Mr. Potter from It's A Wonderful Life- the heroes got what they wanted and deserved, and the bad guys sat there all grumpy, not paying for any of the lives they destroyed. There's no guarantee Alexander won't do this again, tie someone else to this game, ruin their lives, and kill people along the way. (hide spoiler)]
I think my favorite plotline was that of Bailey, Poppet, and Widget. Brilliant depictions of children/teens who are naive and yet wise at the same time.
Yeah, I have a HUGE TBR pile, and after watching part of Silence of the Lambs, I wanted to know more about Lecter as the author intended. Enjoying so Yeah, I have a HUGE TBR pile, and after watching part of Silence of the Lambs, I wanted to know more about Lecter as the author intended. Enjoying so far, the protag, Graham, is interesting, but I can see his stoic character not good for carrying a series.
I'm about halfway through, but I don't know if I'm going to finish. the protagonist is supremely whiny and prefers to fret inside her own head insteadI'm about halfway through, but I don't know if I'm going to finish. the protagonist is supremely whiny and prefers to fret inside her own head instead of actually talking about things with people. I'd prefer much less narrative and more dialog. I like the worldbuilding but Mary is really annoying.
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ok. I finished it. Mary remains annoying. everyone else in the book remains annoying. weeks and months pass without anyone saying the important things. everyone does unspeakably mean things for unknown reasons. her brother kicks her to the sisterhood. Henry leaves her to rot in the sisterhood for months. Travis ignores her while apprently madly in love with her. the entire society is built on having as many babies as possible, and yet a girl can't enter a betrothal more than once- if you can't get a husband, you gotta be a nun. the sexist society was infuriating and seemingly without cause (ie why did modern society move so far backward?)
we are *told* that Henry and Travis love Mary, and that she loves Travis, but we are never shown why. this makes all of the angst and longing ring untrue.
a friend coined the term "schadenfreading" being the book you can't stand but have to finish anyway. I finished this one, but I can't say I liked it....more
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